Evin Billington
Asst. A&E Editor

Liz Higley
Staff Reporter

The school year is ending, and the sun is shining; what could be better than a cold treat to cool you down? While there are many ice cream parlors around town, it can be quite a challenge to pick the right one.

Dairy Queen

When you are in the mood for something creamy and delicious, there can be nothing better than a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Some people may ask what exactly is a Blizzard? Well, it is a creamy smooth soft serve ice cream blended with a wide variety of cookies, candy, or fruit. The most popular Blizzard at Dairy Queen is Oreo, according to Dairy Queen employee Claire Ridge. However, Blizzards are not the only popular item on the menu, Dairy Queen also offers a wide variety of sundaes and different flavors. “There are probably 25 or so Blizzards, but you can also make up your own so basically there are unlimited flavors,” Ridge said. So next time when you’re feeling like the perfect dessert check out Dairy Queen located at 3510 Lake Avenue, Wilmette.

Dairy Bar

When one thinks of ice cream stores in Glenview, the most prominent seems to be Glenview’s own Dairy Bar. For those who might not know, it is a small ice cream stand by the Glenview Public Library. It is only open in the summer, but when the glass windows slide open to expose the shiny machinery inside, it generates a fair amount of business. The opening date changes from year to year, depending on the weather. Since it was so cold this year they opened April 3. They mostly offer specialty sundaes (for example, a sundae inside a plastic baseball hat) and soft-serve ice cream. According to manager Lauren Gabuzzi, kids like blue raspberry flavored ice cream. Adults usually order a vanilla cone dipped in milk or dark chocolate. For those who have never tried this, it is basically just soft-serve vanilla ice cream with a hard chocolate coating.

Sweets & Treats at Wagner Farm

Wagner Farm recently opened an old-fashioned style ice cream parlor called Sweets & Treats. They serve ice cream in a cup or cone, milkshakes, malts and sundaes. The ice cream is supplied by Homer’s Ice Cream in Wilmette. Wagner Farm Director Todd Price tried to create a 1920-1950’s feel, reminiscent of the mom and pop shops from that time period. According to The Glenview Announcements, the most modern piece of machinery is the cash register, which, despite its vintage look, is actually computerized. He hopes customers will see more of the historical elements of Wagner Farm after visiting the parlor. The parlor opened for business May 16. Parlor employee Stephanie Slivka said “I’ve been working at Wagner Farm for a while, and I think this is just another reason people should go [to Wagner Farm]. It’s unique because it’s old fashioned.” Wagner Farm is located at 1510 Wagner Rd. The parlor is only open on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m until June 20, when it opens daily.

Cold Stone

Do you love chocolate ice cream and bananas? Or are you the type of person who craves strawberry ice cream with heath and fudge? Well this is not a problem because Cold Stone is the place to go to make a creation a reality. While having nine different flavors of ice cream, you can choose as many mix-ins as you wish that include your choice of fruits, nuts, candy, or chocolate. Cold stone’s favorite creations are “All Lovin’ No Oven”, which is cake batter ice cream, cookie dough, fudge, and whipped cream and “Berry Berry Berry Good.” This flavor includes sweet cream ice cream, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. This place offers many ingredients to make everyone happy, but it can empty your pockets. For example, for an “All Lovin’ No Oven” a small is $5.15, medium $5.49 and large $5.82. This is a reason why some people prefer other ice cream places. Sophomore Vince Gabuzzi likes Cold Stone but thinks it has a flaw. “I think the prices are ridiculously expensive and something needs to be done about it,” he said. While it can be a bit expensive, it is a place that is hard to pass up. The nearest Cold Stone is located at 1611 Sherman Avenue in Evanston.

Oberweis

The name Oberweis could be familiar either from the politician or from the ice cream store. Believe it or not, there is a connection. As some may have guessed, the politician Jim Oberweis owns the ice cream store at the intersection on Waukegan and Glenview Roads. There are mostly standard flavors here, things like peppermint, moose tracks and rocky road. However, you can get chocolate dipped or peanut sprinkled waffle bowls to go with the ice cream. It would be a good place to sit and eat as the store is not only filled with tables and chairs, but they also have various board games stacked in a corner for younger customers. According to manager Stephanie Chisinga, some of the most popular flavors are mint chocolate chip, coffee, butter pecan, cookie dough and chocolate peanut butter.